Sorry we missed last week due to Father’s Day festivities. This coming weekend is the historical debut of New Japan Pro Wrestling in the United States. Such an event is several decades in the making and pretty exciting for fans of this sport, even if the card itself is slightly underwhelming.

In light of this grand event, this week’s quiz will take a look at “Japanese Wrestling in America.”

Last week’s answers:

1) Andre the Giant immediately gave the WWF Title to Ted DiBiase after he beat Hulk Hogan at NBC Main Event in 1988.

2) Ric Flair and Lex Luger had their Bash ’88 rematch at Starrcade ’88, which was a ****1/2 main event that capped off a truly great show.

3) When Flair wrestled Rick Steamboat at NWA Clash of the Champions VI, they teased a 60-minute draw before Steamboat won just minutes before the time limit.

4) Terry Funk’s original role in the Flair-Steamboat WrestleWar ’89 classic was a ringside judge.

5) The Flair-Funk rematch at Clash of the Champions IX was an “I Quit” match.

6) At the Flair-Hogan rematch at Halloween Havoc ’94, Flair had to retire if he lost. Of course, they were already planning his comeback before he even “retired.”

7) Shawn Michaels’ two ladder matches with Razor Ramon took place at WrestleMania X and SummerSlam ’95.

8) The rematch between Undertaker and Brock Lesnar did NOT take place at a WrestleMania.

This week’s questions:

1. I remember being a 10-year-old kid at the Oakland Coliseum in 1987, bored by the **** match taking place in front of me because I couldn’t wait for my favorite wrestler, Randy Savage, to face Hulk Hogan in the main event. That **** match featured a Japanese women’s tag team who wrestled in the WWF and almost always outworked the men. Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki were known as what?

2. In 1989, the NWA brought in the Great Muta, the supposed son of the Great Kabuki. This was back when a simple moonsault and handspring elbow made you a high spot artist, so he made quite an impact and was thrust into the main event scene. Who was Muta’s manager?

a) JJ Dillon
b) Paul Jones
c) Jim Cornette
d) Gary Hart

3. I’d love to ask questions about the WCW/New Japan Supershows, except they didn’t take place in America. I’ve not checked if those shows are even on the WWE Network, which if they aren’t, is a shame. At the first SuperShow in 1991, Ric Flair was in the main event, and then had a rematch with the same person at SuperBrawl that year. The storyline is confusing, so I won’t even ask. Which Japanese legend did Flair face in those two matches?

a) Jumbo Tsuruta
b) Riki Choshu
c) Tatsumi Fujinami
d) Antonio Inoki

4. Later in 1991, WCW brought in Jushin Liger for some tremendous house show matches. He won the Light Heavyweight title around Christmas, and then lost it in a ****3/4 opener at SuperBrawl II to which WCW workhorse?

a) Brian Pillman
b) Tom Zenk
c) Brad Armstrong
d) Ricky Morton

5. Under Bill Watts, the WCW relationship with New Japan continued in 1992. Great Muta returned, getting a solid push by winning something important at Starrcade ’92. What did he win?

a) The King of Cable tournament
b) The TV title
c) The US Title
d) The Battle Bowl: Lethal Lottery

6. The WWF also started working with Japan in the late ‘90s, bringing in the Great Sasuke for their Light Heavyweight Championship tournament. Sasuke was a spectacular wrestler (and later politician), and owned which Japanese promotion at the time?

a) FMW
b) W*ING
c) New Japan
d) Michinoku Pro

7. As the Monday night wars took off, WCW brought in more foreign talent from Japan and Mexico. One of them was perhaps the best wrestler in the world according to many: Yoshihiro Asai. He wrestled as whom?

a) Ultimo Dragon
b) Kaz Hayashi
c) Mr JL
d) La Parka

8. More recently, WWE brought in New Japan superstar Kota Ibushi for their Cruiserweight Classic. He had some show-stealing matches, but why didn’t he sign with WWE?

a) WWE didn’t want him
b) New Japan had him under contract
c) Ibushi didn’t want to sign an exclusive contract, plus he didn’t want a full-time schedule
d) He asked for too much money

9. The three biggest Japanese stars in the history of Japan are Rikidozan, Antonio Inoki, and Giant Baba. Which one of those three is NOT in the WWE Hall of Fame?

We will randomly generate a number to determine the winner. For example, if the number is 25 and you’re the 25th person to contact us with correct answers, you win. Winners receive a free copy of our brand new e-book, “The Armpit Wrestling Quiz Archives: Volume 1.” It features 128 quizzes we’ve written over the years and clocks in at 420 pages and a whopping 1,079 questions on pro wrestling history dating back to the 1980s. We’ll also announce your name here next week as the winner.

Answers will be posted next week. Have fun and good luck.

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